Hawaii: Photography now permitted inside Honolulu's Iolani Palace

Picture this: You are taking photographs inside Iolani Palace in Honolulu in Oahu.Sound like a nightmare in which you're caught doing something you aren't supposed to do? It's not--at least, not now.The ban on visitor photography was lifted this month, said Kippen de Alba Chu, the executive director of the palace, where King David Kalakaua and his wife, Queen Kapiolani, took up residence in late 1882.The palace's rich wood work. including a grand staircase made of gleaming koa wood, and its jaw-dropping crimson and gold throne room alone could make any photographer of any skill level salivate and reach for that camera phone.Visitors denied the ability to take pictures expressed their displeasure on TripAdvisor, Chu said. He also acknowledged that visitors who post their snapshots on social media help stimulate interest in the Italianate palace, which boasted electricity even before the White House had it.After the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy in the 1890s, the palace was turned into government offices. It was restored and reopened to visitors in 1978.Info: Iolani Palace